Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
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This homemade Caesar salad dressing is rich, creamy, and so much better than store-bought. Toss it with crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, and plenty of Parmesan for a classic Caesar salad everyone loves.
There are countless Caesar dressing recipes out there, but this is the version my whole family loves. It’s rich and creamy, and not too garlicky or too fishy—it’s just right.
Unlike traditional Caesar dressing, which is made with olive oil and thickened with raw egg, this version has a mayonnaise base, making it perfect for anyone who’d rather not eat raw eggs. My kids love it so much that they’ve learned to make it themselves. They don’t even wait for me to make a salad; while I’m cooking dinner, they’ll sit at the kitchen table with a big heart of romaine and dip the leaves right into the dressing.
“Without a doubt, this is the best Caesar salad recipe I have found and I’m 73 years old!”
What You’ll Need To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Anchovy paste: Instead of whole anchovies, paste makes the recipe easy, especially if you’re squeamish about anchovies (just hold your nose and add it in; the dressing needs every last bit to taste like the real deal!)
- Mayonnaise: Used in place of the raw egg and oil found in traditional Caesar dressing; gives this version a rich, creamy texture. Use Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: You can always tell if it’s authentic from Italy by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
- Fresh lemon juice: This brightens the rich dressing and balances the Parmesan and mayonnaise. Freshly squeezed makes a noticeable difference.
- Garlic: Caesar dressing needs garlic, but it can easily take over. This recipe uses just enough to give the dressing a little bite without overpowering the other flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Caesar Dressing
Begin by whisking together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Next, whisk in the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper. That’s all there is to it! The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about a week. Keep in mind that it will thicken as it chills; if it’s too thick, simply whisk in a teaspoon or two of water until it reaches your desired consistency.
How to Make Caesar Salad
Place chopped romaine in a large bowl and add just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Toss well, then add homemade croutons and freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve it as is, or turn it into a main course by topping it with grilled chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp.
Video Tutorial
More Salad Dressings You’ll Love
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (see note)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking, then serve or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
- Storage: The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about a week and will thicken as it chills. If needed, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- To make a Caesar salad: Toss chopped romaine with enough dressing to generously coat the leaves. Add homemade croutons and freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toss again. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have made this so many times I have the recipe memorized, it’s that delicious! I always taste before adding salt and I’ve never added any to this. I use Hellmann’s mayo and Parmigiano Reggiano.
I used half a tin of anchovies (reserved the remainder of fillets for top) because that’s what I had. Everything else the same except I used mini food processor since anchovies were whole. Delicious! Will make again. Cindy
LOVE IT!!…so creamy and thick, and wonderful flavor!! This is my me fav!!!!
I have downloaded some wonderful recipes from this site, and, although I know you set a standard for taste, I was disappointed that I couldn’t try this one because I was not able to find Anchovy Paste at my (admittedly rural) grocery store, and I’m not up for ordering it on line just for salad dressing. Is there an ACTUAL substitute, or should I look elsewhere for a different approach?
You can use whole anchovies instead of the paste. I’d recommend about two and you can just mash them well with a fork. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I thought this was delicious, but was disappointed in the way it made my salad wilt to mush very quickly. I dressed the romaine about 15 minutes before dinner, and by the time we ate, sadly it was like slimy goo. I ate it because I liked the flavor, but my husband didn’t eat his because of the texture. I used only about 1/3 of the full amount of dressing to a good medium size bowl of lettuce. Do you think it was because the dressing was too thick?
Hi Jaime, sorry to hear the dressing impacted the texture of the lettuce. You mentioned you used romaine – was much of it the darker leafy parts (as those are more delicate than the lighter parts of the lettuce)? And I think letting the dressing sit on the lettuce for 15 minutes prior to eating it would’ve had an impact as well.
I have just tried this recipe tonight. Omgosh it was absolutely delicious!!. Thank you for an amazing recipe. Deborah Emery
This is delicious. I have two recommendations:
1. If your garlic cloves are small, use an extra one.
2. Double the lemon juice.
I never bother to comment on any recipe that I make but, this recipe is absolutely the best Caesar dressing I’ve ever had and I’ve made this recipe, easily, over fifty times.
I’ve been making this for years and everyone always loves it. I made it for my brother, who is quite an accomplished cook, and this is all he makes now.
Made as-written and it tasted like mayonnaise 🫤
Exactly!!!!
Fabulous. Didn’t change a thing. I’ll make this one again. Thanks Jenn!